Grace of Giving: ChildSafe works on behalf of abused children

Updated 11:47 pm, Saturday, December 8, 2012

The numbers are staggering.

One in four girls and one in six boys in Bexar County will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday, according to ChildSafe, a local nonprofit that serves child and adolescent victims of sexual abuse.

One in 10 of those children will speak out, the group says.

“Most people don't know the prevalence of abuse. ... I don't think most people know (the statistics) until they're close to it,” said Kim Abernethy, president and CEO of ChildSafe, one of the nonprofits being profiled by the San Antonio Express-News in its 18th annual Grace of Giving series.

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The agency, which began in 1988 as a multidisciplinary task force, provides counseling, crisis intervention and case management. It helps more than 1,700 abuse victims each year. ChildSafe recently expanded its mission to include serving children who are victims of physical abuse and neglect.

ChildSafe works closely with the district attorney's office and local law enforcement. When its staff receives a referral from Child Protective Services or law enforcement, they connect the child with a family advocate who oversees the case and makes sure victims and their families get the necessary counseling and support.

Sometimes a victim's trauma is compounded if the perpetrator is the family's breadwinner — a situation that could displace a family from its home or make it difficult to pay rent or buy groceries.

“It's hard for families to heal if they're worried about paying the bills,” Abernethy said, explaining such assistance is just one of the services ChildSafe provides.

Another service provided by ChildSafe are forensic interviews of victims, which allows a child to recount the details of abuse in an interview conducted by a trained forensic interviewer. The recorded interview reduces the number of times a child will have to undergo such questioning.

ChildSafe has three forensic interviewers on staff, but only two interview rooms. This means children sometimes have to wait to complete their interviews until a room is available.

The waiting, especially for a child in crisis, could have profound effects, said Andrea Davila, client services team leader at ChildSafe.

“Having that extra room would help speed” the investigation, Davila said, explaining this could lead to an arrest being made sooner, which could help a child feel safer and ultimately lead to closure and healing for the entire family.

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The agency needs monetary donations, including contributions to its construction project, to pay for client services. Gift cards to grocery stores, gas stations and retailers that sell affordable clothing and personal items also are needed. Monetary donations can be made online.